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https://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20080530/co_po/egyptupholdshivpositivemensjailterms&printer=1;_ylt=AoIRBjDSJKKKUmF9Y4YCb9xQ.nQA
Egypt upholds HIV-positive men's jail terms
Fri May 30, 6:06 PM ET
SUMMARY: The men, who received three-year sentences, were arrested and
jailed over the widespread belief that they are a danger to public
health.
Prison sentences imposed on five HIV-positive men in Cairo were
upheld Wednesday as part of Egypt's attempt to tighten restrictions on
people living with HIV/AIDS, according to Human Rights Watch.
The men, who received three-year sentences, along with four others
previously arrested, have been imprisoned because of the widespread
belief that they are a danger to public health.
"To send these men to prison because of their HIV status is inhuman
and unjust," Human Rights Watch's Joe Amon said in a written statement.
"Police, prosecutors and doctors have already abused them and violated
their most basic rights, and now fear has trumped justice in a court of
law."
In the past seven months, 12 men have been arrested in Egypt under
suspicion that they were HIV-positive. The Egyptian government detained
all of the men for several months, tested their HIV status without
their consent, and administered multiple medical examinations that have
since been deemed torturous by Human Rights Watch. Three of the men
were released after months in detention because their HIV test results
came back negative. The other nine have all been given prison terms.
"Putting these men in prison serves neither justice nor public
health," Amon said. "The Egyptian government and the countryÂ’s medical
profession must act to end this campaign of intolerance." (The Advocate)
No medical assiociation should stand for this "system"...
